Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Technology Review: Matoola

MATOOLA is a search tool that locates podcasts across the web.
This easy-to-use website allows users to do a word search to find podcast programs on a wide range of topics from science and social studies to sports and health issues. Results includes the name and date of the podcast, a description, and a control bar to play the podcast. This control bar displays direct links to where the keyword is located in the podcast, the program length, volume controls, and a play button.
Search results can be narrowed by time such as just the past week, month, or year. They can also be sorted by relevance or currency.
Librarians will find this resource a valuable tool in student research and curriculum development. For instance a search for history displays dozens of fascinating podcasts that could be woven into class activities. Young researchers will find this tool to be a effective way to locate information for projects. For instance, a search for autism brings up dozens of recent podcasts on the topic.
To conduct a search, go to http://www.matoola.com.